Have you ever thought to yourself, “Ugh, I’m so lazy”?
Why did you think that?
Was it because you spent the morning watching Arrested Development in bed?
Did you reach the end of your work day and realize that you hadn’t accomplished all that you wanted to?
Were you sitting on your couch, looking at the disorganized mess that is your living room and just couldn’t make yourself get up to clean it?
In this article, I’m going to teach you how to stop being lazy. And it’s more simple than you might think.
There’s one simple, two-second trick to help you stop thinking of yourself as lazy.
Here it is:
Stop thinking of yourself as lazy.
You are NOT lazy. Want to know how I know?
Think about a time that you worked hard on something – something that you weren’t being physically forced to do. (In other words, you did it on your own terms.)
Have you organized an awesome party for your friend’s birthday? Spent 5 hours drawing a detailed picture of a cottage in the Alps? Stayed up until 2:18 am researching poisonous frogs?
Those are all things that you exerted effort on, even though you weren’t being forced to.
Ergo, I can conclude that you’re not lazy. So, please stop calling yourself that!
It sounds simple, but believe it or not, the way we speak to ourselves has a huge impact on how we act. If you believe that you’re lazy, you’ll be more likely to behave that way.
On the flip side, if you believe that you’re a kick-butt hard worker capable of doing any task you want, you’ll be more likely to behave that way.
So, next time you feel yourself thinking, “Man, I’m lazy,” STOP.
You’re not lazy. Here’s what you might be instead:
Again, you’re not lazy. But if you’re struggling to get something done, whether it be a work task or a household chore, there’s a reason why you’re not doing the thing.
Here’s what it might be:
1. You lack interest in the task
2. You lack energy do to it
3. You don’t feel appreciation/external motivation for doing the task
4. You’re distracted
5. You lack urgency
Most of the time, the reason you’re not doing the task is because of one or more of these things.
(There are certainly times when something else is at play; for instance, depression, which would probably require seeking help outside the scope of this article.)
I bet you can look at this list and know instinctively which one of the things is affecting you at the moment.
Or, you could try thinking about a time when you were more motivated to do a task and ask yourself, “What made me do the task that other time? Why am I not acting like that now?”
Be curious, not judgmental, about what’s going on in your good ol’ mind. Remember, “It’s because I’m lazy” is not an option.
Now that you’re not thinking of yourself as lazy, let’s examine these other obstacles that might be tripping you up and see what we can do about them.
Lack of interest
For me, a lot of times my answer to “Why am I not doing the thing?” is that I’m not feeling interested in it.
Something I know about myself all too well: If I’m feeling interested in something, I can work tirelessly on it. I may suddenly feel a great interest in rearranging my bookshelf so that books of a similar color are next to each other, and BAM, that’s what I’m spending all evening doing.
Can anyone else relate?
Here’s the question you need to tackle: What would make your task more interesting, enticing, or enjoyable?
Unfortunately, I don’t have a magic bullet that will make everything more interesting. But I have some ideas I use to make uninteresting tasks more enticing and enjoyable:
How can I make a boring task more interesting?
Pair the task with something you are interested in – like listening to a favorite podcast or audiobook while you workout or clean the house
See the task from a different angle – you’re not just researching blog advice, you’re building your side hustle that’s going to pay for your next vacation!
Do the task like someone else would – This can often hold my interest for a bit. Imagine that you’re someone else, and do the thing like they would.
- You’re now your favorite blogger. How would they plan out their content calendar?
- You’re now Hermione Granger. How would she study for her midterm?
- You’re now Superman. How would he clean up the playroom? (It’s kooky, but it’s fun.)
Change up your scenery – if you can, go somewhere new. Write your report outside. Fill out your expense reports at a coffee shop. The change of scenery can make the task seem more interesting.
Plan something fun for after you finish – Your brain wants to do something fun and interesting, and I get that. It’s worried that it won’t get that if you have to do the boring thing first. Make a promise to your brain that you’ll do something fun afterward and follow through. Reward yourself!
Lack of energy
Here’s something I love saying: You are a human, not a machine.
As a human, you are naturally going to have moments and days when you have less energy.
Here’s what you can do when you’re feeling this way:
Get more rest – Take a nap, like now, if you can. If lack of energy is something you frequently feel, start going to bed an hour earlier every day for a week and see what happens.
Do an activity that gives you energy – Hint: watching TV and scrolling on your phone are usually energy-takers, not energy givers. Energy-giving activities are usually moving your body, talking to someone, or doing a hobby you enjoy.
Make the task seem less daunting by breaking it into small pieces that don’t require as much energy. Just take it one step at a time.
Lack of appreciation or external motivation
You may not want to do the thing because you think, what’s the point?? No one will appreciate if I do it anyway.
Here’s what you can do if you’re feeling underappreciated:
Evaluate the necessity
It’s possible, just possible, that the task you’re avoiding is actually… not that necessary. If you’re feeling too lazy to color coordinate your kids’ socks with their outfits so they always match… well, maybe you don’t need to.
You don’t have to feel lazy about not doing tasks that you don’t consider necessary. That is your choice.
Communicate your feelings
If it’s appropriate, talk to your boss, partner, or whomever and see if you can get more appreciation feedback.
If you feel like your partner doesn’t appreciate it when you make dinner, mention that to them. I bet they do appreciate it; they just didn’t realize they haven’t been showing their gratitude. (Maybe they’ll want to start helping out with it too.)
Reward yourself
Be your own best appreciate-er. Maybe it doesn’t seem like anyone appreciates it when you do the task, but you do. You feel a sense of satisfaction.
And try rewarding yourself with something else too, like a dance party in your newly-clean living room, or a craft break away from your newly-cleaned-out email inbox.
Distractions
Distractions are everywhere, especially when we’re already feeling lazy, I mean… unmotivated.
Minimize your distractions. Don’t just try to ignore them.
Put away your devices. Shut your office door. Close all the tabs on your computer except the one you need.
Your mind will still want to get distracted, so take mindful breaks – and yes, you will need to take them. Just don’t turn them into scroll sessions.
Recommended: Why Your Brain Needs a Break (And How to Give It One Effectively)
Lack of urgency
If you feel too lazy to do something because it doesn’t feel urgent, first, reevaluate if you need to do it at all, or if you really need to do it now (see the point above in “lack of appreciation”).
Sometimes tasks are necessary, but not urgent, and that’s why it’s hard to get started on them. It’s easy to put it off because, well, you can.
If the task you’re avoiding is important but not urgent – make a list of reasons why doing it would feel good, help others, or help yourself. Write down how you’ll feel after it’s done.
I’ll give you an example – based on a personal experience of mine.
Let’s say that there’s a big box at the foot of your bed (*cough* personal experience *cough*). Inside the box are odds and ends – craft supplies, lotions, some Harry Potter wands (the usual things). On top of the box is a pile of jackets that you leave there at the end of the day instead of hanging them up in your closet.
You’re always thinking, I should organize that, but I’m too lazy it just doesn’t seem urgent (or interesting, for that matter).
And yet, since it’s clearly bugging you on some level, here’s what you can do to make it more likely that you’ll organize that box.
Make a list of reasons why it would be feel great to do. For example:
- You’ll feel relieved at finally getting it done.
- It will look nicer and make you feel lighter when you look in that corner (you know this from experience).
- You’ll feel accomplished and proud of yourself for doing something that you’ve put off for so long.
- You’ll be able to use the odds and ends in that box, because as it is they’re basically inaccessible to you (they’re under the jackets, remember)
When you make a list like this, the task will start to sound more appealing, and maybe a little more urgent (because you want those good feelings now, please).
After this, (if necessary) break down the task into small steps you can do relatively easily. Just start with the first step.
Conclusion
I hope you realize by now that you are NOT lazy. And hopefully, you have a clearer idea of what actually is going on when you’re resisting a task.
Whether you have a lack of interest, energy, urgency, external motivation, or you’re just plain distractible, the steps in this article will help you to get to the root of the issue and get the task done.
All of this takes time and practice. It’s just like lifting weights at the gym. The more you do it, the better you’ll get, so don’t give up.
Oh, and remember to take time to rest. 🙂
Best of luck!
